‘Relief’ and ‘enthusiasm’ are words that can be used to describe the feelings of two of the forty-nine repatriated Guyanese who returned from Suriname on Monday after much anticipation.
“I think my mom was more excited than I was because she was already here waiting for me to come home. I was more relieved. I have been waiting for six months now to come back to Guyana,” said Scott Dorwart.
The nineteen-year-old spent the majority of his life in the neighbouring country. Ever since he was born, he has been back and forth with his family. Then when he turned ten, Dorwart moved to live there permanently, returning to Guyana only for vacations.
His parents and brother however, moved back to Guyana some time ago but before he could join them, the novel coronavirus prevented his coming.
The teen explained that he had contacted the Guyana Embassy in Suriname about his return since the beginning of the pandemic and they had initially promised to look into it. However, Dorwart said he kept reaching out to the embassy, but was told that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Suriname had some issues which prevented him from travelling. The teen said he realised that it was not true when he contacted a source from the ministry there to find out what the issue was, only to be told that the ministry was not trying to prevent anyone from travelling.
Dorwart believes now, that the Guyana Embassy there was only making excuses since they were unsure of the elections situation here along with that of the pandemic. Nonetheless, he did not give up and kept contacting the embassy until recently they filled out the repatriation form for him. Then last week he received a call telling him to visit the AZP Microbiologisch Laboratorium to have a PCR test done. After his results returned negative, he was cleared for travel on Monday.
Since Suriname does not administer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to persons without symptoms of the Covid-19 disease, the batch of Guyanese could not fulfill all the requirements for re-entry, as a negative Covid-19 PCR test, not less than seven days old, is a requirement for Immigration authorities to allow entry for passengers into Guyana.
President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, was among the special guests at President Irfaan Ali’s inauguration where the two talked about broadening the ties between the two countries. During the discussions between the two Heads of State, the matter of the group of Guyanese remaining in Suriname for several months was raised by Ali, and Santokhi readily committed to having his government conduct the necessary PCR testing to facilitate the return travel of the Guyanese citizens.
With further assistance from Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George, and staff of the Guyana Embassy in Paramaribo, all 49 persons were tested and the MB Sandaka ferry was dispatched to transport the batch of Guyanese back to their homeland.
Dorwart paid $2,100 to return to Guyana.
When asked which of the two countries felt more like home, Dorwart went with Suriname, having spent most of his life there but quickly added that it was time for a change. He is hoping to join his brother here in working for ExxonMobil. Along with the excitement of new things happening, the young man eagerly anticipates the arrival of his goddaughter expected to be born any day now.
For some like Amelia Adrian, returning home was bittersweet. Adrian spent seven months in Suriname with her two young children and their Surinamese father before the couple separated.
Following her separation some months ago, the single mother did not choose to return right away. She instead decided to rent an apartment for herself and her children. She recalled when she first looked for an apartment to rent, she was told she’d have to find US$350 per month, an already sizable sum especially for someone without a job.
Needing a roof over their head, she insisted that a cheaper apartment be found and was able to get a one bedroom apartment for $40,000 per month. Asked how she was able to find money for the rent, Adrian confided that she relied on family members. However, conditions were unsanitary and she was forced to move again, finding another apartment this time costing $60,000 per month. The landlord, she shared wasn’t all too friendly and she recalled being locked inside the apartment with her children from 3 o’clock one afternoon until after 5 pm explaining that she did not even realize for some time that she was locked in. That was one month ago and it was the breaking point that motivated her to return home.
But she had only been in the country for six months and had little knowledge of how to get around. She said that she had no idea where the Guyana Embassy was located. Contacting her sister, she asked her to Google the location of the embassy there. “I applied last Tuesday. They called me Tuesday night and told me to do a COVID test on Thursday and I got back the results on Saturday. I didn’t know when I applied whether they would allow me to come back here but when I turned up there, they were helping persons to fill out the forms,” Adrian said. Whether, by coincidence or an act of God, she arrived in time to have herself and her children registered to make the travel back.
More than anything, Adrian is relieved to be back home. She doesn’t know just yet how she will provide for herself and children but she is certain that she’ll make it happen.
